No Confirmation of Extradition for Simon Ekpa as Finnish Authorities Continue Legal Proceedings
As of now, there has been no official confirmation that a Finnish court has approved the extradition of Simon Ekpa to Nigeria. Finnish authorities are currently handling the case through their own legal processes.
Simon Ekpa, a Finnish citizen of Nigerian descent and self-proclaimed leader of the Biafra Republic Government-in-Exile, was detained in Finland in November 2024 on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses. He is accused of incitement to violence and financing terrorism, allegedly through social media activities targeting Nigeria’s South-East region.
The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has scheduled May 2025 as the deadline for prosecutors to submit formal charges against Ekpa. He remains in custody, as Finnish law does not permit bail in such cases. Both Ekpa and Finnish authorities have the option to request a re-evaluation of his detention every two weeks.
While Nigeria has expressed interest in having Ekpa extradited to face charges there, Finnish authorities have not indicated any decision to approve such a request. The ongoing legal proceedings within Finland suggest that the case will continue to be handled within the Finnish judicial system for the foreseeable futures